C^ESALPINIA. 



A climbing plant, if it grows among trees. Stem unarmed, not 

 thicker than the arm, even at the base. Pinnae 3-4 pairs; leaflets 2-3 

 pairs, ovate, acute; their petioles and back ribs all over prickly. 

 Flowers yellow in racemose panicles. Standard with a few red spots. 

 Legumes roundish, oblong, mucronate. Seeds 1-2, flat, black, 4-cor- 

 nered. A decoction of the roots used, according toRumph in calculous 

 and nephritic complaints. 



GU1LANDINA. 



Sepals 5, nearly equal, combined at the base into a short ur- 

 ceolate tube. Petals 5, sessile, nearly equal. Stamens 10, dis- 

 tinct : filaments villous at the base. Style short. Legume 

 ovate, ventricose-compressed, 2-valved, 1-2-seeded, covered with 

 straight prickles. Seeds bony, shining, nearly globose. Trees 

 or shrubs with hooked prickles on the stem and petioles. Leaves 

 abruptly bipinnated. Flowers spicately racemose. Bracteas 

 elongated. W. and A. 



547. G. Bonduc Linn. sp. 545. DC. prodr. ii. 480. W. 

 and A. i. 280. G. Bonduccella Linn. 1. c. Caesalpinia Bondu- 

 cella Flem. in As. res. ii. 159. Roxb. fl. ind. ii. 357. (Rheede 

 ii. t. 22. Rumph. v. t. 48, 49. f. i.) Both East and West In- 

 dies. (Nicker tree.) 



A climbing plant, armed with many sharp, small, recurved prickles. 

 Leaves bipinnate ; pinnae 7 pairs ; leaflets 3-8 pairs, ovate oblong, more 

 or less downy, with 1-2 small recurved prickles between them on the 

 underside; stipules large pinnatifid. Bracts lanceolate, reflexed. 

 Racemes simple, above the axils. Legumes prickly, 2-seeded. The 

 seeds in powder are a powerful tonic. 



POINCIANA. 



Sepals 5, equal or unequal; united below into a cup -shaped 

 somewhat persistent base. Petals 5, stipulate ; the upper one 

 shaped differently from the others. Stamens 10, distinct, much 

 longer than the petals, all fertile, filaments ascending and hairy 

 at the base. Style very long. Legume unarmed, flat-com- 

 pressed, wingless, 2-valved, several-seeded, intercepted internally 

 between the seeds. Seeds obovate, compressed. Cotyledons 

 flat. Shrubs or trees, prickly or unarmed. Leaves abruptly 

 bipinnated. Flowers large and very elegant, corymbosely pani- 

 cled. W. and A. 



548. P. pulcherrima Linn. sp. 554. DC. prodr. ii. 484. 

 W. and A. i. 282. Caesalpinia pulcherrima Swartz obs. 165. 

 (Rheede vi. t. 1.) East Indies, whence it was carried to the 

 West Indies. (Barbadoes Flower fence.) 



Shrubby, armed, quite smooth. Leaflets obovate-oblong, retuse or 



emarginate. Flower-buds obovate, obtuse. Calyx smooth on both 



sides; sepals obtuse, unequal, the lower one arched j^pstivation imbricative. 



Petals fringed, bright orange, very large and long, on long claws. Ovary 



263 s 4 



